Just Within Reach (LAPIDOT ONE SHOT)
by MelancholyNekos
Summary: One moment, they hated each other, the next, they didn't.


Lapis Lazuli was trapped in a mirror for thousands of years. When she was finally freed, everything was supposed to better. She would reach homeworld, live a normal life. And she almost did make it.

 _Almost._

It felt like she was in a never-ending prison. Finally, with the help of Steven, the human/gem hybrid who freed her from the mirror, she was able to fly to homeworld because he healed her cracked gem.

During her journey to homeworld, she was captured and interrogated by a generic Peridot.

" _Are the crystal gems still on Earth?"_

Lapis finally surrendered, giving the gem the exact location of the crystal gems. She felt terribly guilty. _But Steven isn't bad,_ she wanted to tell them. The Peridot got Yellow Diamond to assign her a Jasper, and like that, Lapis was back on Earth.

After being fused with Jasper for Blue Diamond knows how long, she was finally rescued by the crystal gems.

Unfortunately, she had to live with _that Peridot._ Lapis hated her. It was _that Peridot's_ fault she was stuck on Earth, unable to return to homeworld. It was _that Peridot's_ fault she was stuck as Malachite for so long. It was all _that Peridot's_ fault.

"But it's okay," Steven would tell her, "She's changed, Lapis."

"That's what Jasper said. But she hasn't, has she?" She would say.

Eventually, she forgave the Peridot. She really wasn't that bad. She was almost.. Likeable.

And that's how Lapis Lazuli, tormented for thousands of years with no way out, always running and never finding what she wanted, found herself in this mess. That's how Lapis Lazuli found her safe haven.

00

"Hey, Lazuli, have you seen my bowtie?" Peridot called from the back part of the barn. Lapis was lounging on a hammock reading a book Steven let her borrow.

"No, Peri. Try looking upstairs, maybe?" Lapis sat up and closed the book.

Peridot walked in, her hair was sticking up in more places than its usual triangle shape. Lapis fought the urge to smooth it down.

"Oh well, I'll just look for it later." Peridot sighed. She sat on the hammock next to Lapis. "So, Lazuli, how's that book you're reading?"

Lapis shrugged, "It's okay. I hardly understand it."

Peridot nodded thoughtfully, "You should watch Camp Pining Hearts with me. It's tons more interesting."

Lapis chuckled, short and sharp, "Peridot, we've watched the entire series seventeen times." Peridot shrugged.

Lapis bit her lip, "Peridot.."

Peridot looked up and her roommate, "Yes, Lazuli?"

"Peridot, I.." Lapis squeezed her eyes shut. She could do this. _Just tell her._ "Peridot, I like you!"

Peridot stood and stretched, "Of course you do, Lazuli, otherwise we wouldn't be living together." She walked upstairs, and Lapis heard her click on the tv.

00

"Lapis!" Steven cried, running and wrapping his arms around Lapis's waist, "How are you and Peridot?"

"We're fine, Steven." She said, prying the boy off of her. She saw the crystal gems saunter up the hill.

Peridot peeked her head out of the barn, "Oh hey, Steven!" She cried. She walked out of the barn and mussed his hair.

It was Steven's 15th birthday, and they were celebrating at the barn.

After talking and catching up with Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet, they began to put up decorations. Lapis noticed that Peridot was having a hard time draping the streamers over the barn entrance. She sucked in a breath, and walked over to her.

"Need help?" She asked.

Peridot turned and blushed, "Yeah, I can't reach.." Lapis placed her hands on Peridot's waist and lifted her so she was just able to reach.

"Thanks, Lazuli. You can put me down, now." Peridot smiled.

With reluctance, Lapis set the small gem on the ground.

00

Lapis cradled Peridot's gem in her hands. She had been poofed two months ago, and still hadn't come back.

"Come back to me, Peri.." Lapis whispered. The gem did nothing, and it just made Lapis more desperate to get her Peridot back. Since that day when Peridot's physical form was destroyed, Lapis hadn't let her gem out of her sight.

Lapis stroked the gem with her thumb, angry at herself for not being able to prevent this, angry at the crystal gems for not being able to prevent this, angry at Peridot for _not coming back._

"I miss you so much, Peri, please.." Her voice faltered, "We all miss you. The barn is so.. Lifeless without you." She laid on the floor and traced the scratches on her perfectly shaped gem.

"I love you, Peridot.."

Suddenly, a light so bright that it blinded Lapis emitted from the gem. Through her squinted eyes, she could see the familiar form of Peridot. _Her Peridot._ She really didn't look different. _What took her so_ long, _then?_

"Peridot!" Lapis cried.

"Hey, Lazuli," Peridot smiled at her, somewhat awkwardly.

Lapis pulled Peridot to her, "What took you so long?"

Peridot shrugged against her, "I had a lot of thinking to do."

"I missed you so much, Peri.." Lapis buried her face in the crook of her neck.

"Yeah, I heard," Peridot rubbed the back of her neck and blushed.

"..Wait, everything?" Lapis whispered rather shakily.

She felt Peridot nod. Lapis drew back and looked away, "I..-"

Peridot cupped Lapis's face in her hands and planted a warm kiss on her lips, "I love you too, Lazuli."

00

Lapis giggled, "Stop, Peri, that tickles!"

"That's the point, Lazuli. I wouldn't be tickling you if I wasn't meaning to tickle you." Peridot informed her.

Lapis wrapped her arms around Peridot's neck, "You're such a dork,"

"Well, you're.. a.. clod!" Peridot countered.

Lapis began to laugh, "See what I mean?"

Peridot's cheeks darkened, "I am not a.. dork." She muttered, looking away. Lapis chuckled and kissed her.

00

"So.. have you two fused yet?" Garnet asked, a smile in her voice.

"No, I kind of can't," Peridot said between coughs, "You should know that."

"That's only because you lost your grip, Peridot." Garnet stated.

"You guys have no idea how wrong that conversation sounds." Lapis called from the top of the truck lodged in the wall of the barn.

00

"Lazuli, I'm doing this for you, let go!" Peridot's voice was strangled with tears.

"Peridot, you don't have to!" Lapis croaked.

"But if I don't you know what they'll do. They'll destroy the Earth. They'll destroy you."

"Peri.." Lapis pleaded, "We can run, Peri.. we can go to another planet, you don't have to _do_ this!"

Peridot shook her head furiously, her visor reflecting the light of the burning barn, "But then we'll be no better than them. I'm sorry, Lapis."

Lapis grabbed her wrist and kissed her. Kissed her until her lips were raw, until she had to breathe, until her mouth was dry.

"I love you, Peridot." She said when she broke away.

Peridot nodded, too choked with tears to speak.

Lapis watched as her Peridot confronted yellow diamond, watched as she was brought to her knees and shattered, watched as her world collapsed.

00

Lapis would not move. Would not think. Would not talk or smile or laugh.

Peridot had been so _brief_ , so.. Short.

She laid at the floor of the ocean and stared as the fish passed over her, around her.

She should've tried to stop her, should have, could have, would have, _didn't._

Lapis closed her eyes and let the ocean swallow her soul.


End file.
